The name means star in Latin, and the horn and the year 1366 on the label recall a 14th-century Leuven brewery
One of the world's most popular lagers began as a holiday edition. In 1926, the Artois brewery in Leuven, Belgium, launched Stella as a limited-edition Christmas beer, according to the brand's entry in The Oxford Companion to Beer, written by Ben McFarland. The name comes from Latin and means star. AB InBev, which owns the brand, describes the beer as a holiday gift from the brewery to the people of Leuven and says the star has appeared on its bottles ever since.
The brewery's history is much older. Tax records show that the Den Horen (the horn) brewery was already operating in Leuven in 1366, according to the Oxford Companion. That is what the hunting horn in the logo and the 1366 date the brand displays refer to. The Artois name only arrived in the 18th century: brewmaster Sebastien Artois lent his name to the brewery in 1717.
The Christmas beer was a success in Belgium and became a year-round product. By 1930, it was already being exported to other European countries, the Oxford Companion says.
In Belgium itself, known for its top-fermented ales, Stella is not the leader. According to the Oxford Companion, published in 2012, the country's best-selling beer is Jupiler, from the same company, and international lagers account for more than 70% of the Belgian market. It was abroad that the brand grew. In the United Kingdom, the “Reassuringly Expensive” campaign of the 1980s and 1990s made Stella the country's leading premium lager, with 3 million barrels sold a year in 2001. In the United States, it is among the leading imported beers.
Today Stella Artois is a bottom-fermented pilsner, at 5% or 5.2% alcohol depending on the market, made with hops, barley, maize, water and yeast. AB InBev also highlights the brand's chalice, with a gold rim and a star-shaped stem.
Bebidário's catalog includes Stella Artois and the gluten-free Stella Artois Pure Gold.
Sources: The Oxford Companion to Beer (2012), AB InBev (2026).
